Returning to Our Roots to Move to the Future

The Future at John de la Howe

Where is De la Howe? Location in S. C.

Location Close View

Land Usage

Use of Land Acres Forestry Land 920

Wildlife Openings 9

Ponds 2

Tomb Area—Protected Land 162

Farming Areas (Pastures/Crops) 104

Campus 117

Total 1310

Long Cane Creek

Little River

Lake Thurmond

Tomb and Archeological Site Wilderness Camp

Main Gate

Shiflet Center

Infirmary

Main Building

Modern School Cafeteria

Tennis Courts Swimming Pool

Resident Halls

Main Building

Chapel

Chapel

Shiflet Center

Old Dairy Complex Marketing and Event Center

What Happened? History shows that the JDLHS has had a turbulent life over

the past 221 years and has had a variety of functions. Section 59-49-100 states that the de la Howe bequest “will be

for the establishment and maintenance of an agricultural and mechanical school.”

The new school will return to the original function specified in the law.

Brief History The founding principles of the school were based on a 1787

article in the Columbian Magazine based on “a plan for establishing schools in a new country, where the inhabitants are thinly settled, and whose children are to be educated with special reference to a country life.”

In 1797, Dr. De la Howe used this publication to establish the Lethe Agricultural Seminary.

Founding Principles

The school was designed to support the “sparsely settled sections of the country” or, in modern terms, rural education. We want to expand this to any student in the state.

Students will be taught agriculture and home economics.

Students will have work projects consisting of allotted plots for farm produce and fruit trees. We now call this a supervised agricultural experience and everyone of our students will have such project that will come from many areas of the agricultural industry.

Founding Principles “Provision will be made for the proper balance of work and play.” JDLHS has tennis courts, a swimming pool, baseball field,

football/soccer field, and access to golf courses so that our students will learn recreational, team, and life skills that will last them for a lifetime.

We also want to establish competitive sports and join the S. C. High School League.

Founding Principles--Teacher Expectations

The Columbian Magazine gives the requirements for a teacher in the new school.

“He would naturally be led to read the best authors on agriculture and rural affairs and to get some acquaintance with botany.”

“He would study theories, tracing useful practices back to their principles…” “Communicate to the [students] a degree of scientific knowledge of the very

important art of which…they daily learn” “Geography, history, English moral writings, bookkeeping, geometry, practical

surveying, and the principles of mechanics are suggested.”

Today we would add the pronoun “she” and expect no less of our teachers. In fact, we demand more.

Founding Goals The goals of the school were also set form in the Columbian

Magazine. The children would be taught the plainest and most useful principles of

religion and morality. They would be well and uniformly educated in the most necessary learning

an in the most important arts of civil life, husbandry, and domestic economy. They would acquire habits of industry. Their manners and behavior would be formed and rendered mild and

agreeable.

Founding Goals A few successive sets of scholars thus educated, returning to their several homes, would quite change the face of the country in the point of cultivation, and introduce a pleasing change in the knowledge, manners of the people, and abolish the invidious (undesirable) distinction of citizens and clowns.

The Creed learned by every FFA member states: I believe that American agriculture can and will hold true to the best traditions of our national life and that I can exert an influence in my home and community which will stand solid for my part in that inspiring task.

Commissioner Hugh Weathers on Agribusiness in South Carolina The world’s population is expected to grow to 10 billion by 2050. Farmers

around the world will have to grow more food in the next 40 years than has ever been grown period.

I’ve said many times, the Department of Agriculture is working towards the 50 x 20 goal: to increase the economic impact of agribusiness in our state to $50 billion by 2020. Right now we’re at about $42 billion, and the future looks bright because of the bright minds in SC agriculture.

After all, agribusiness is the state’s number one industry, and that’s one fact I hope all South Carolinians know by heart.

Growing agribusiness in this state remains a top priority as we get nearer to 50x20.

So, Nothing Is New… Two hundred and twenty-one years later, the principles on

which the school formed in the 18th century are very similar to the principles on which we are establishing 21st century school.

Proven successful instructional techniques based on research will be used. ABSOLUTELY, NO DEVIATIONS, QUALITY EDUCATION WILL BE A FOUNDING PRINCIPLE OF THIS SCHOOL. NO EXCUSES WILL BE TOLERATED.

Many things have changed in our state and nation since the founding of the original school, but the basic goal of providing our students with the highest quality education has not.

Founding Principles in Study 1. There will be a combination of day and resident students. Day students will start in

grade 10 and resident students will be in grades 11 and 12. 2. Graduates will be college and career ready. 3. Students will fit the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. 4. The school will support the mission of agricultural education. 5. The educational program will be based on a three-tiered approach used by

successful agricultural education programs for over 100 years. 6. Classroom instruction in all areas (in both agriculture and general education

courses) will be competency-based, project-based, and hands-on. 7. All subjects will be taught using a mastery model. Shoddy or incomplete work will

not be accepted and students will be required to redo the work until it meets acceptable quality standards.

8. FFA will be an intra-curricular part of the total agricultural education program. 9. All students will be required, based on their personal interests and career goals, to

have a Supervised Agriculture Experience (SAE). 10. All students will be required to have an individual graduation plan (IGP) that will

guide their entry into college or a career.

How Will the School Look? The school will function like the Governor’s Schools. It will operate like a school district and follow SCDOE

guidelines and policies. It will be have both residential and day students from the

area. It will look and function like a small high school. THE SCHOOL WILL EXCEED ALL STATE AND

NATIONAL ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING ADVANCED ED.

How Will the School Look? School will have a basic 4 X 4 schedule with modifications to

meet the unique requirements for hands-on instruction. All state disciplinary and attendance codes will be followed.

What Will Instruction Look Like?

The courses will be taught on a competency-based format. Work will be project-based and hands-on. Teachers will develop

labs on every concept. General education courses will fit this model and support the

agricultural mission. All state standards will be followed and exceeded. Biology I taught with ag labs Economics—Ag. Economics Government—Local and state government added

Competency-Based Education Sample

Terms are easy to say and sound good, but the implementation is difficult. This is a concept used in the military every day in their training.

Skill—The student will construct a 1” wooden cube that will be square on all sides using hand tools. Able to use a ruler and measure objects What does the concept square mean? Know how to use a hand saw. Know which type of hand saw to use. Know how to use a combination square Pick the right wood for the project Learn how to mark the cut and adjust the cut so that the kerf does not

throw off the measurements. Know how to sand wood to finish the project

Competency-Based Education Sample

Some students with prior knowledge in wood working are going to finish this task quick and move on to more advanced projects.

Others needing to develop these skills are going to need more time. There should be no stigma for going slower on a project.

Everything we learn consists of developing new skills based on prior knowledge.

Mastery Learning

It is quite simple. OUR TEACHERS ARE NOT GOING TO ACCEPT ANY SHODDY WORK.

Go back to the cube. The instructor will not accept the work until it is right. The student will be given extra help and more instruction and asked to do it again and again.

Project-Based Learning Every superintendent in the state uses this term, but… Each student will have an experience program on which they

are working. It can be something based at De la Howe like a horse project, wildlife plot, or marketing project. For day students, it can be a home project on their farm or employed in an agribusiness.

We will have specific skills that we want the student to develop working on these projects to support their career goals.

General education teachers will be required to develop and use projects to support their instruction.

Agricultural Instructional Areas

Agriculture and Biosystems Science Plant and Animal Sciences Horticulture Environmental and Natural Resources including Forestry and

Wildlife Agricultural Mechanics Biosystems Technology Food Sciences and Food Processing

What Will the Graduating Students Look Like? All students will participate in FFA leadership activities learning

to speak and conduct meetings properly. FFA awards and degree programs will be part of the student

guidance documents and individual educational plans. All students will have their own supervised agricultural

experience project in their area of interest. They will earn degrees and awards within the FFA organization.

All students will graduate career-ready so that they can enter the workforce or colleges and universities and be successful. Hopefully many will have earned advanced credit or an associates degree before graduation.

What Will the Graduating Students Look Like? We are going to address some of the omissions and failures of our modern high

schools in South Carolina.

They will have advanced literacy and numeracy skills.

All students will be trained in life skills including some of the following: Computer skills including Microsoft Office Suite and Visual Studio Balancing a checkbook and running a home budget. Basic mechanical and tool skills; basic auto maintenance Outdoor skills; basic survival skills in the woods Basic electrical skills Proper manners and dress Swimming, tennis, dance, and golf Will know economic principles and be able to understand how a business operates and the

economy of the nation operates in a capitalist society Will understand our government at all levels and the principles that give us freedom. Grow their own food

The skills developed in a quality agricultural program are the same skills desired in almost every career area.

Our students may not ever enter an agricultural career, but they will be prepared for success in any endevaor that they wish to pursue.

Learning to do. Doing to learn. Earning to live. Living to serve.

THE SCHOOL WILL BE FOUNDED AND BASED ON ABSOLUTE AND TOTAL QUALITY IN SERVICE TO OUR STUDENTS AND THE STATE. NOTHING LESS WILL BE ACCEPTED.